Despite a growing appetite for international music, Tajikistan remains off the tour map for many global pop stars. From infrastructure limitations and high booking costs to a developing concert production industry and limited audience purchasing power, several factors make hosting mega-events challenging in the country.
Famous American singer Jennifer Lopez’s concerts in Kazakhstan’s Astana, Almaty, and Uzbekistan’s Tashkent in early August gave a significant boost to tourism, hospitality, and restaurant businesses, while generating additional tax revenues for the host cities, The Caspian Post reports per Tajik media.
As part of her “Up All Night: Live in 2025” world tour, the pop icon visited 20 cities in 13 countries from July 8 to August 12 - including stops in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, but not Tajikistan.
On August 7, Lopez performed at Tashkent’s “Milliy” Stadium, attracting around 31,100 people, including staff. According to Uzbekistan’s Art and Culture Development Foundation, 25,000 were paying ticket holders. Notably, 67 per cent of attendees were foreign tourists - including about 8,900 from Russia, 2,500 from Kazakhstan, and visitors from other countries. Ticket prices ranged from 1 million soums ($79.76) to 4.2 million soums ($333.58), generating an estimated revenue between 25 billion and 105 billion soums ($1.97 million-$8.28 million).
The Foundation noted that the concert became a major economic event for the capital. Tax revenues rose by more than 42.5 billion soums (about $3.3 million), while hotel occupancy in Tashkent increased by 25.7 per cent. More than 15,300 tourists - including visitors from the US and Europe - came to Uzbekistan, many purchasing 4-6-day travel packages specifically for the concert. Experts said the event provided a strong boost to the country’s tourism sector.
To enhance visitor comfort, free shuttle buses were provided, security measures were stepped up, and 115 organizations took part in preparations. Eighteen food courts and retail outlets operated at the venue, while metro passenger traffic on the Chilanzar line rose by 16,500 on the event day. Importantly, the concert was staged without spending from the state budget, demonstrating Uzbekistan’s capacity to host world-class events.
In Kazakhstan, Lopez held two shows - on August 1 in Astana and August 10 in Almaty.
The Astana concert drew around 10,000 tourists from over 30 countries, including neighboring states, Europe, and South Asia. Visitors spent an average of $230 per day on accommodation, food, transportation, and shopping, with an average stay of three days. The expected economic impact was estimated at 6.5 billion tenge (about $11.6 million), excluding ticket, flight, and transport expenses. Average ticket prices were around $200, while flights cost about $310. Authorities expect around 400 million tenge ($714,000) in additional tax revenues. As in Uzbekistan, no state funds were spent on organizing the event - the government’s role was limited to maintaining public order and safety.
In Almaty, the August 10 concert attracted over 20,000 spectators to the Central Stadium, including guests from more than 35 countries. According to the city’s Tourism Department, the event’s total economic effect was about 5 billion tenge ($9.2 million), covering ticket sales, accommodation, dining, and tour services.
Fans in Tajikistan took to social media to ask why the pop diva skipped their country. There are several reasons:
Lack of infrastructure - Tajikistan currently has no modern arenas large enough to host such events. For a concert to be profitable, a venue should seat at least 30,000 spectators. However, a new stadium in Dushanbe - expected to be the largest sports and events venue in the country - is scheduled for completion by the nation’s 30th independence anniversary next year.
High costs of booking major artists - Hosting a superstar like Jennifer Lopez is extremely expensive. In addition to her fee, organizers must cover flights, luxury accommodation, catering, transportation, and other logistical expenses for the artist and her team.
Underdeveloped production industry - Tajikistan’s Ministry of Culture noted six years ago that the local concert promotion sector was weak, and little progress has been made since.
Low purchasing power - Only a small portion of the population could afford even the cheapest tickets, which in Tashkent cost around $100.
